Department for Communities and Local Government

Non-domestic Rates

baroness neville-rolfe: Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to accelerating their review of the future of the rating system and the associated taxation of online businesses, in the light of the impact on the UK's towns and high streets.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is considering the scope of possible reforms to the business rates system, including the frequency of revaluations, and will provide an update in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

*No heading*

lord hylton: Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the social and economic consequences of restricting zero-hours contracts to students and pensioners.

lord prior of brampton: Government has not made an estimate of the social and economic consequences of restricting zero hour contracts to students and pensioners.Further to my oral statement in the House on 11 July regarding the publication of the independent Review of Modern Working Practices by Matthew Taylor, the Review concluded that the UK has employment levels and rates that are at historic highs. It also concluded that the UK is widely recognised as having one of the most flexible labour markets in the world and many people working on atypical contracts value the flexibility that they bring and choose to work this way.

*No heading*

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of theAgency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators.

lord prior of brampton: Within the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators budget it is not possible to identify the membership costs for any individual member state. Details of their costs and the work they do are set out in their Programming Document[1] for 2017-2019.In common with other EU agencies, as part of exit negotiations the government will discuss with the EU any potential future relationship with the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. [1] http://www.acer.europa.eu/en/The_agency/Mission_and_Objectives/Documents/ACER%20Programming%20Document%202017-September%202016.pdf

*No heading*

lord rennard: Her Majesty's Government how they apply the business impact target (BIT) to regulations relating to fire safety in buildings; whether they intend to review the application of BIT to such regulations; and whether they intend to exempt such regulations from BIT.

lord prior of brampton: The Government is considering how best to continue to deliver its commitment to regulate more efficiently and effectively over the course of this Parliament.

*No heading*

lord taylor of warwick: Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to preserve businesses' confidence as part of a transitional plan for Brexit.

lord prior of brampton: We need an economy that works for everyone and the Government is working to deliver a bold, long term Industrial Strategy that builds on our strengths and prepares us for the years ahead.Government is engaged in extensive and diverse engagement with businesses of all sizes across the UK, having open and honest conversations about both the challenges that leaving the EU poses, but also the opportunities that will become open to us. As part of this, government is creating a new EU exit business advisory group to ensure business is not only heard but is influential throughout the negotiations.We are also providing as much certainty and clarity as we can at every stage. For example the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill aims to maximise certainty for businesses by ensuring that the laws and rules that we have now will, wherever practicable, continue to apply once we have left the EU. This provides the basis for a smooth and orderly exit.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

*No heading*

lord blencathra: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments by the spokesman for the Libyan navy that NGOs were operating a taxi service for migrants in the Mediterranean and were colluding with smuggling gangs.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is not funding any non-governmental organisations (NGO) to carry out Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean. NGO activities are co-ordinated by the official Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Italy, and all NGOs should operate in accordance with international law. It is the organised criminal networks who are exploiting vulnerable migrants and profiting from these dangerous journeys across the sea. That is why our priority is to tackle these smugglers.

*No heading*

lord harries of pentregarth: Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking about the deteriorating political situation and increasing violence in Burundi.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK supports the East African Community-led dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Burundi. We continue to urge the Burundi government to engage with the East African Community.At the recent Human Rights Council session on 20 June 2017, the UK called on the Burundi Government to end the violence and collaborate with the UN Commission of Inquiry on Burundi to ensure that individuals responsible for human rights abuses in Burundi are held to account. Our non-resident Ambassador and officials regularly visit for consultations with the Burundi Government; these discussions cover human rights and the importance of maintaining the principles of the 2000 Arusha Agreement, including the protection of minority groups in Burundi. In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is implementing projects in Burundi focused on human rights, sexual and gender based violence and security.

*No heading*

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of theEU Satellite Centre.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The EU Satellite Centre produces satellite imagery and analysis in support of EU missions and operations in fulfilment of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defence Policy. The UK is able to draw on the Centre’s output for defence and security purposes. This year the UK’s financial contribution is approximately 2.17 million Euros.

*No heading*

lord scriven: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bahrain regarding the denial of medical care to Abduljalil Al-Singace and Hassan Mushaima, who were sentenced to life imprisonment by the National Safety Court in June 2011.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have raised these cases with the Government of Bahrain. The UK monitors events in Bahrain closely. We continue to raise concerns about human rights with the Bahraini authorities, both in private and in public. We encourage anyone with concerns about their treatment in detention to report these directly to the oversight bodies, including the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman.

*No heading*

lord scriven: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the group of UN human rightsexperts that the killings of five protesters by Bahraini security forces in Duraz on 23 May were unlawful.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government of Bahrain Public Prosecution has launched an investigation into the deaths of the five men during the security operation in the village of Diraz. We encourage a swift and thorough investigation.

*No heading*

lord scriven: Her Majesty's Government what wasthe allocated budgetfor technical assistance to Bahrain in thefinancial years (1) 2016-17, and (2) 2017-18, broken down by heads of expenditure; and what was the actual expenditureunder each of those heads in 2016-17.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In 2016-17, £2 million was allocated from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. In total, £1.52 million was spent. The British Embassy in Bahrain is currently working out its allocation for this financial year.

*No heading*

lord scriven: Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to witness the trial of Hajar Mansoor Hassan, Nazar Alwadaei and Mahmood Marzooq on 18 September.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Embassy in Bahrain continues to monitor such cases and regularly attends court hearings.

*No heading*

lord scriven: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bahrain on the disappearance of Al-Sayed Alawi Hussain al-Alawi, who was arrested on 24 October 2016.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have raised this case with the Government of Bahrain. The UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments.

*No heading*

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that visitors to the illegal Israeli settlement of Gush Etzion are being offered the opportunity to take part in a simulation exercise and pretend to be an Israeli soldier shooting at Palestinian terrorists.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made any assessment on this issue, it has long been the UK’s position that Israeli settlement activity is illegal. We have a regular dialogue with both the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel in which we reiterate the need for both sides to prepare their populations for peaceful coexistence, including by promoting a more positive portrayal of each other, and avoiding incitement.

*No heading*

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the reported use of tear gas by Israeli forces in Palestinian homes.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have not made representations to the Government of Israel concerning the reported use of tear gas by Israeli forces in Palestinian homes.

*No heading*

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the reported use of live ammunition by Israeli forces on protesters.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly stress to the Israeli Government the need for proportionality and proper accountability, in responding to protests and security incidents.

Department for International Development

European Securities and Markets Authority

lord shutt of greetland: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research they have undertaken as a direct consequence of the recommendations and observations regarding operational limitations set out in paragraphs 7.57–7.82 and 13.133 of the 2005 report by Atkins Management Consultants St Helena Access Feasibility Study: Final Report.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Banking Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Banking Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Securities and Markets Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.

lord bates: As a set of single market authorities, the memberships of the European Securities and Markets Authority, European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the European Banking Authority (EBA) consist only of EU and EEA national competent authorities. As the UK is leaving the European Union, our relationship will change.The EU has also stated its intention to relocate the EBA. The future relationship will be a matter for negotiations. We are seeking a comprehensive trade agreement, which includes financial services and is based on a deep and special partnership between the EU and UK that goes much wider than trade. The financial costs of the three bodies are divided on a 60:40 ratio between national competent authorities across the EU, and a contribution from the European community. Details of the budgets and the activity conducted by the agencies are available on the respective websites.

Department for Education

Children: Social Services

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government what steps, short of the appointment of commissioners, they can take to deal with children's services departments which are a cause of concern.

lord nash: The Department for Education intervenes in all local authorities that receive an inadequate Ofsted rating for children’s services.In the most serious cases, improvement may require statutory intervention, whereby, under the Education Act 1996, the Secretary of State is able to direct a local authority to take whatever action is deemed necessary to secure improvement. In the last few years, Ministers have directed the setting up of new governance structures, including partnering with another local authority (e.g. Isle of Wight), bringing in extra improvement support (e.g. Somerset), or establishing a Children’s Services Trust (e.g. Doncaster).In other cases the department takes non-statutory steps, issuing an ‘improvement notice’ detailing what actions a local authority is expected to take to improve its services and closely monitoring progress. We deploy government improvement advisers who are appointed to support and challenge these authorities to make rapid progress.

Children: Social Services

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government (1) which local authority children's services departments have been found by Ofsted since January 2015 to be persistently or systemically failing; (2) which were made subject to the appointment of commissioners; and (3) which are currently run by commissioners.

lord nash: The Department has categorised local authority children’s social care services as ‘systemic’ or ‘persistent’ failures since December 2015 when it introduced a tougher intervention regime. The following authorities have been subject to this new policy: LASystemic/PersistentBarnetSystemicBromleySystemicDudleySystemicKirkleesSystemicNorfolkPersistentReadingSystemicSandwellPersistentSunderlandSystemicTorbayPersistentWorcestershirePersistent & Systemic  All of these authorities have been subject to the appointment of Commissioners, with the exception of Barnet where recruitment for a Commissioner has not yet concluded. These authorities retain accountability for the effective running of their children’s services. Commissioners do not run the services, but do make recommendations to the Secretary of State on whether operational control of services should be removed from the council. Where Ministers accept a recommendation that services should transfer to alternative delivery arrangements, such as a new Children’s Services Trust, Commissioners will oversee this process

Social Services: Lambeth

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government whether they have received representations about failings in children's services in the London Borough of Lambeth.

lord nash: The London Borough of Lambeth Council’s children’s social care services became subject to Government intervention in May 2015, following Ofsted’s judgement that these services are ‘Inadequate’. The Department has issued the Council with an improvement notice and has appointed an expert adviser to provide the Council with advice and challenge and to report regularly to the Department on improvement progress. Ofsted also conducts quarterly monitoring visits to Lambeth’s children’s social care services, and publishes progress reports on its website.

Children: Social Services

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the current detailed business plans of those sections of the Department for Education dealing with child welfare.

lord nash: The department has recently responded to the Public Accounts Committee on this question. The department agrees it is appropriate to set out its vision with timescales, as it has done in ‘Putting Children First’. The department will also produce a roadmap of how the Department intends to transform services, which will be a publically available document. This will address the challenge in the NAO report and set out more clearly a timeframe for delivery of the reforms.

Children: Social Services

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to improve the performance of Ofsted in responding to family members who raise matters of concern in relation to children's services departments and children's homes.

lord nash: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to you and a copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Children: Social Services

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government whether they monitor the performance of Ofsted in relation to that agency's responses to family members who raise concerns relating to (1) children's services, and (2) children's homes; and what steps, if any, they are taking to improve that performance.

lord nash: Ofsted is a Non-Ministerial Government Department and is not an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE). The responsibility for performance rests with Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, with oversight undertaken by the Ofsted Board. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector also reports to the Education Select Committee on matters relating to Ofsted’s performance.Officials from DfE’s and Ofsted’s social care teams engage with one another frequently so that any policy or operational issues, including how concerns raised by families are dealt with, can be addressed. Where appropriate DfE raises issues of concern with Ofsted and refers members of the public to Ofsted’s complaints procedure.The details of how Ofsted addresses improvement in performance on these matters will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Ofsted

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the methodology by which the performance of the Chair of Ofsted is monitored.

lord nash: The expectations around performance monitoring of public appointment holders are set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments published by the Cabinet Office. This is found in paragraph 3.5 of the current code. These expectations are reflected in the terms on which the Chair is appointed by the Secretary of State. As part of this process, the Chair is required to participate in a performance appraisal with the Permanent Secretary. Also under these terms, the Chair will share a copy of his own objectives, and have a discussion to review progress at least annually with the Permanent Secretary. This arrangement reflects Ofsted’s independence from the Department of Education. The current Chair has shared his objectives with the Board, and Board members have agreed to establish a framework for reviewing his effectiveness. Additionally, the Chair is also expected to adhere to the highest personal and professional standards, in accordance with the Nolan principles published by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, and to comply with the Board Code of Conduct as set out in the Ofsted corporate governance framework. Ofsted is currently reviewing its corporate governance arrangements. The Cabinet Office Governance Code can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-code-for-public-appointments. The Ofsted corporate governance framework can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsteds-corporate-governance-framework.

Ministry of Justice

*No heading*

lord harries of pentregarth: Her Majesty's Government what is the latest figure for self-inflicted deaths in prisons in the UK; and what steps they are taking to reduce them.

lord keen of elie: The Government publishes statistics on deaths in custody quarterly, and updated detailed tables annually. These figures cover only England and Wales. They can be viewed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632625/safety-in-custody-quarterly-bulletin-mar-2017.pdf In the twelve months to June 2017, there were 97 apparent self-inflicted deaths in custody. Improving safety is a priority for this Government. We are investing £100m a year to strengthen the frontline by recruiting around 2,500 more prison officers by the end of 2018. We are rolling out improved training across the estate for staff on suicide and self-harm reduction and have put in place specialist roles - regional safer custody leads - in every region to provide advice to prisons and to spread good practice on identifying and supporting prisoners at risk. We are providing grant funding to the Samaritans to support the prisoner Listener scheme and are providing an additional funding in 2017-18 to fund a number of other projects, including a learning tool for staff and emotional resilience training for prisoners.

Department of Health

Cancer: Mortality Rates

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the findings by Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise in its report, Comparator report on patient access to cancer medicines in Europe Revisited, that UK five-year survival outcomes for cancer lag behind the European average for nine out of ten cancers.

lord o'shaughnessy: Cancer survival rates are at a record high and around 7,000 more people are surviving cancer after successful treatment on the National Health Service compared to three years ago. However, there is more that we can do. NHS England is leading the implementation of the recommendations of the independent Cancer Taskforce to save a further 30,000 lives by 2020.

Nurses: Training

lord mackenzie of culkein: Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Royal College of Nursing, (2) the Royal College of Midwives, and (3) UNISON, as a consequence of the fall since 2016 reported by UCAS in the number of applications to universities to study for nursing degrees.

lord mackenzie of culkein: Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made to date in implementing their plan to provide 10,000 additional nursing student places by 2020; and how much additional funding has been provided to universities as part of this plan.

lord o'shaughnessy: Ministers routinely meet nursing leaders and discuss a range of issues, including recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives. The Government remains committed to reforming nursing, midwifery and allied health pre-registration education and increasing the number of places available for students so that two in three nursing applicants are no longer turned down for a place; at the same time ensuring these students have more money available to them while they study. Health Education England is confident that the National Health Service will have the required number of students it needs starting courses this year and will continue to work with the education sector to deliver these reforms successfully for the longer term.

Radioisotopes: Imports

lord mendelsohn: Her Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the potential impact of not reaching agreement with the EU by April 2019 on the supply of the radioisotope molybdenum-99 used to produce technetium-99m which is required for over 80 per cent of diagnostic medicine procedures in the UK; (2) what assessment they have made of the potential impact of delays or disruption to the supply of diagnostic medicine procedures that may result; and (3) what contingency plans they have put in place to mitigate such delays or disruption to that supply after Brexit.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government is fully aware of the importance of molybdenum-99 and the reliance on this medical radioisotope for diagnostic procedures in the National Health Service. The United Kingdom’s ability to import medical isotopes from Europe and the rest of the world will not be affected by withdrawal from Euratom. It is in everyone’s interest to not disrupt the timely access of treatment to patients and to ensure that cross-border trade with the European Union and Euratom is as frictionless as possible.

Secure Psychiatric Units: Ethnic Groups

lord boateng: Her Majesty's Government, what data are collected regarding the number of BME patients in locked wards in England; and what plans they have to impose new requirements for the collection of such data.

lord boateng: Her Majesty's Government how many patients from BME backgrounds spent a period of their care in locked wards in Englandduring each of the last three years for which figures are available.

lord boateng: Her Majesty's Government what conclusions they have drawn from the Care Quality Commission review The state of care in mental health services 2014 to 2017, published on 20 July, as to the numbers and experience of BME patients in locked wards across England.

lord o'shaughnessy: Data on the number of BME patients being treated in locked rehabilitation wards in England is not collected centrally, though we would expect trusts to pay close attention to such data. The Government welcomes the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) report and shares its concerns about inappropriate use of locked rehabilitation wards. The department will consider the implications in discussion with NHS England, NHS Improvement and the CQC.

Blood: Contamination

baroness gould of potternewton: Her Majesty's Government whether the findings of the 2009 independent report by Lord Archer of Sandwell on NHS supplied contaminated blood and blood products will be taken into account by the contaminated blood inquiry announced on 11 July.

lord o'shaughnessy: The focus of the inquiry will be on establishing the truth of what happened. Over the summer, the Government is consulting with those affected and key stakeholder groups to discuss the scope of the inquiry.

Microplastics: Food

lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk to humans of microbeads and other plastics entering the human food chain.

lord o'shaughnessy: On the basis of current information, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) considers it is unlikely that the presence of the low levels of microplastic particles that have been reported to occur in certain types of seafood would cause harm to consumers. The FSA will continue to monitor and assess emerging information concerning microplastics in seafood.

NHS: Drugs

lord lucas: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 19 July (HL914),what plans they have to reduce the costs to the NHS of the supply of drugs such as Apomorphine that are long out of patent and simple and cheap to manufacture; and what consideration they have given to increasing supplies ofsuch drugs by seeking suppliers who will invest in regulatory approvals in exchange for a fixed-price, fixed-term contract.

lord o'shaughnessy: The cost of branded medicines to the National Health Service is controlled by the voluntary pharmaceutical price regulation scheme or the statutory medicines price regulation scheme. Often when patents expire, generic versions enter the market and, as a result of competition, prices often go down. In primary care, the community pharmacy contractual framework provides an incentive for pharmacies to get the best medicines prices; in secondary care, a system of central tenders delivers similar levels of savings. In general, the system works well – the United Kingdom has the lowest generic prices across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Drugs: Prices

baroness mobarik: Her Majesty's Government which public body is responsible for enforcing regulations concerning the retail prices of medicines; and what enforcement mechanisms are in place to sanction non-compliant retailers.

lord o'shaughnessy: The price of over-the-counter medicines charged by retailers is not subject to regulatory control. Competition between retailers acts to prevent excessive prices.

HIV Infection: Foreign Nationals

lord ryder of wensum: Her Majesty's Government whether the Department of Health has monitored risks associated with overseasvisitors seeking or receiving HIV treatment, as set out in that Department's guidance on HIV treatment for overseas visitors in England from 1 October 2012; if so, how many such visitors have been identified; and whether any of those visitors were refused treatment.

lord o'shaughnessy: From 1 October 2012, an amendment to the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations meant that HIV treatment was no longer chargeable to any overseas visitors. This means that no-one should be charged for or refused HIV treatment based on residency. Public Health England monitors the country of birth of persons reported in England who are living with HIV infection and whether or not they are receiving HIV treatment according to their level of HIV-related immunosuppression. Information on their residency or visitor status is not recorded routinely by treating clinicians and therefore is not available.

Home Office

*No heading*

baroness hamwee: Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL Deb, col 789) regarding rates of pay for work undertaken by immigration removal centre detainees, how much was paid to detainees in aggregate, and for how many hours' work, in the last year for which figures are available; whether the savings in the running costs of immigration removal centres represented by detainees undertaking work which would otherwise have been paid at commercial rates accrue to (1) HM Treasury, (2) to the immigration removal centre providers, or (3) other bodies or agencies.

baroness williams of trafford: Rule 17 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 permits detainees to engage in paid activities while in detention and is provided as a means to occupy detainees and alleviate boredom.It is not permitted contractually for private service providers to use the detainee paid work scheme to replace staffing obligations and there are no savings or efficiencies realised by the private service providers or the Home Office from the option for detainees to work in this voluntary scheme.Management information shows that for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 detainees in immigration removal centres undertook a total of 887,073 hours of paid work, with payments made to detainees totalling £887,565. This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.

*No heading*

lord rosser: Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL Deb, col 789) stating that immigration removal centre providers must make a minimum number of opportunities available for detainees to participate voluntarily in paid activity, whether contracts with immigration removal centre providers assume that detainees will volunteer for a certain number of hours of paid work; and if so, (1) what is the total number of hours of such paid work assumed for each immigration removal centre, and (2) how many hours of paid work wereundertakenby detainees in each immigration removal centre, for each of the last fiveyears.

baroness williams of trafford: Immigration removal centre (IRC) private service providers are contracted to offer a minimum number of voluntary paid work opportunities for detainees, in accordance with the Detention Centre Rules 2001. There is no contractual assumption that detainees will volunteer for a certain number of hours of paid work.Management information on the number of hours of paid work undertaken by detainees in each IRC is only available from November 2014 as set out in the table below. This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics. Immigration Removal Centre2014  (November to December)201520162017  (January to April)Total hoursBrook House14,61786,35293,46733,012227,448Campsfield House10,09863,95768,30229,418171,775Colnbrook10,00273,07381,87626,413191,364Dungavel11,16656,02447,42414,128128,742Harmondsworth27,112135,186124,43943,038329,775Morton Hall28,560160,080161,19258,920408,752Tinsley House4,26526,82720,347*Centre closed51,439The Verne39,650283,771244,50678,025645,952Yarl’s Wood5,41335,32739,52414,23694,500Total150,883920,597881,077297,1902,249,747*Tinsley House closed for refurbishment after September 2016. The total hours worked for Tinsley House for 2016 are therefore only available for January to September 2016.**Data provided is for a full calendar year unless otherwise stated.

*No heading*

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government values the role of Europol in helping law enforcement agencies coordinate investigations in cross border serious and organised crime. That is why the UK opted-in to the new Europol Regulation, which came into force on 1 May 2017, enabling us to maintain our current access to the agency and to continue to benefit from its cooperation and operational advantages.Europol has a budget of £82mn (€95mn) and is centrally funded from the EU budget. The UK contributes to the budget as a whole, not to individual projects. The UK financing share (net of the rebate) of the 2016 EU budget was 13.45%.

*No heading*

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European body for the enhancement of judicial cooperation.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government values the role of Eurojust and that is why Eurojust was one of the measures we rejoined in December 2014 as part of the decision under Protocol (No. 36) to the EU Treaties to opt out of all pre-Lisbon JHA legislation and opt back into 35 key measures.Eurojust can lead to improved criminal justice outcomes by ensuring that investigators and prosecutors share information and evidence, agree strategies and co-ordinate activity in order to tackle cross-border criminality in a more efficient and effective manner.Eurojust has a budget of £29.285m (€34m) and is centrally funded from the EU budget. The UK contributes to the budget as a whole, not to individual projects. The UK financing share (net of the rebate) of the 2016 EU budget was 13.45%.

*No heading*

baroness harris of richmond: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress made by the Police Federation of England and Wales in implementing the recommendations of the Normington Review; when they expect those recommendations to be implemented in full; and what was the cost of that Review.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is working closely with the Police Federation of England and Wales to implement the recommendations of the Normington Review as soon as possible. I am expecting the final set of regulations, which will implement the outstanding recommendations, to be laid by the end of 2017.The costs associated with the review are a matter for the Police Federation.

*No heading*

lord hylton: Her Majesty's Government whether they will use the services of the Red Cross and of other voluntary sector staff and volunteers to identify adults and children now in Europoe who may be qualified to come to the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government continues to work with Greece, France and Italy and works collaboratively with NGOs and International organisations, including British Red Cross, UNHCR and Unicef to ensure the safe and efficient identification and transfer of eligible children as well as to ensure the efficient operation of the Dublin Regulation.We have secondees in Greece and Italy who are working with those Member States and relevant partners to provide advice and support on the process for transferring eligible children under section 67 in the future. In addition, we continue to work with EU partners and NGOs to ensure the efficient operation of the Dublin Regulation.

*No heading*

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Asylum Support Office.

baroness williams of trafford: The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) plays an important role in supporting asylum cooperation between Member States and in helping those Member States whose asylum and reception systems are under pressure. EASO is funded directly by the EU budget.The Government continues to support the principle of EU hotspots and has deployed resources through EASO to the hotspots in Italy and Greece.Last year, the Government took a decision not to opt in to the proposed EU Agency for Asylum, which will replace EASO. The Government’s key consideration was the significant amount of oversight of the UK asylum system, which would be given to the Agency should the UK choose to participate. Written Ministerial Statement HCWS373 of 16 December refers.Until the UK leaves the EU, there will be no immediate changes to how the UK engages with EASO. Until then, we remain a full member of EASO, maintaining voting rights at the management board and playing a strong role in influencing EU asylum policy.The Government will consider the UK’s future relationship with the EU in terms of asylum cooperation as part of the broader EU exit negotiations.

*No heading*

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Agency for the operational management of large IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice.

baroness williams of trafford: The European Agency for the operational management of large IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (also known as eu-LISA) manages the Second Generation Schengen Information System (SIS II), the EURODAC system for storing the fingerprints of asylum seekers and certain illegal migrants and the Schengen Visa Information System (VIS). Of these, the UK takes part in EURODAC and the police and judicial cooperation aspects of SIS II. The Government considers that eu-LISA manages these systems effectively.The UK contributes to eu-LISA for the management of the systems we take part in. Our contribution is made through our payment to the EU budget as a whole, and not through a direct payment to eu-LISA.

*No heading*

lord marlesford: Her Majesty's Government, in cases in which a non-British national is deported following conviction for a criminal offence, what restrictions are placed on his or her return to the UK; and how those restrictions are monitored to ensure that such persons do not return in violation of the conditions.

baroness williams of trafford: A deportation order (DO) remains in force unless revoked. It invalidates any previous leave granted and prohibits re-entry to the United Kingdom (UK) while it is in force. The existence of the DO is flagged on Home Office systems. This alerts Home Office officials in the event that the individual attempts to re-enter the UK.

Radicalism: Finance

lord pearson of rannoch: Her Majesty's Government when they will publish in full the Extremism Analysis Unit's report on the role of foreign funding in encouraging religious extremism in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government laid a Written Ministerial Statement in Parliament on Wednesday 12 July, which conveyed the main findings of the review into the funding for Islamist extremist activity in the UK. The review has improved the Government’s understanding of the nature, scale and sources of funding for Islamist extremism in the UK.The review’s report is classified because of the volume of personal information it contains and for national security reasons. The Written Ministerial Statement is a comprehensive and representative reflection of the review’s findings; the Government has no plans to comment further on these. The Government has invited the appropriate Privy Councillors from the opposition parties into the Home Office to read the classified report on Privy Council terms

HM Treasury

*No heading*

lord empey: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the level of smuggling of fuel and other items along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

lord bates: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) do not have a breakdown of the level of smuggling or the value of smuggled items along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. HMRC publishes estimates of tax gap for fuel and other excise goods. The latest estimates are included at pages 33 to 49 of ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2016’ These estimates cannot be disaggregated by type of fraud, such as smuggling. The estimate of the market share for illicit diesel in Northern Ireland is 8%, which amounts to about £50m in lost revenue. HMRC continually reviews its approach to tackling tax fraud. In respect of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, HMRC plays a proactive role in the Organised Crime Taskforce, chairing the Cross Border Enforcement Groups on tobacco and fuel fraud.HMRC continually monitors the threat from the smuggling of heating oil. There is currently no evidence to suggest that home heating oil has become the main hydrocarbon fuel smuggled across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

*No heading*

lord empey: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which home heating oil is replacing red diesel as the main hydrocarbon fuel smuggled across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

lord bates: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) do not have a breakdown of the level of smuggling or the value of smuggled items along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. HMRC publishes estimates of tax gap for fuel and other excise goods. The latest estimates are included at pages 33 to 49 of ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2016’ These estimates cannot be disaggregated by type of fraud, such as smuggling. The estimate of the market share for illicit diesel in Northern Ireland is 8%, which amounts to about £50m in lost revenue. HMRC continually reviews its approach to tackling tax fraud. In respect of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, HMRC plays a proactive role in the Organised Crime Taskforce, chairing the Cross Border Enforcement Groups on tobacco and fuel fraud.HMRC continually monitors the threat from the smuggling of heating oil. There is currently no evidence to suggest that home heating oil has become the main hydrocarbon fuel smuggled across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

*No heading*

lord empey: Her Majesty's Government, in the last five years for which figures are available, what items have been seized from smugglers along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; and what was the value of those items.

lord bates: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) do not have a breakdown of the level of smuggling or the value of smuggled items along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. HMRC publishes estimates of tax gap for fuel and other excise goods. The latest estimates are included at pages 33 to 49 of ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2016’ These estimates cannot be disaggregated by type of fraud, such as smuggling. The estimate of the market share for illicit diesel in Northern Ireland is 8%, which amounts to about £50m in lost revenue. HMRC continually reviews its approach to tackling tax fraud. In respect of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, HMRC plays a proactive role in the Organised Crime Taskforce, chairing the Cross Border Enforcement Groups on tobacco and fuel fraud.HMRC continually monitors the threat from the smuggling of heating oil. There is currently no evidence to suggest that home heating oil has become the main hydrocarbon fuel smuggled across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

*No heading*

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Securities and Markets Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Banking Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Securities and Markets Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Banking Authority.

lord lester of herne hill: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.

lord bates: As a set of single market authorities, the memberships of the European Securities and Markets Authority, European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the European Banking Authority (EBA) consist only of EU and EEA national competent authorities. As the UK is leaving the European Union, our relationship will change.The EU has also stated its intention to relocate the EBA. The future relationship will be a matter for negotiations. We are seeking a comprehensive trade agreement, which includes financial services and is based on a deep and special partnership between the EU and UK that goes much wider than trade. The financial costs of the three bodies are divided on a 60:40 ratio between national competent authorities across the EU, and a contribution from the European community. Details of the budgets and the activity conducted by the agencies are available on the respective websites.

Department for Exiting the European Union

*No heading*

baroness hayter of kentish town: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to construct an on-going dialogue with consumer and worker representatives with regard to Brexit along the lines of the EU Exit business advisory group.

baroness anelay of st johns: As part of our commitment to hear from every sector and region in the UK, DExEU Ministers and officials have met with organisations which represent workers and consumers to enable us to understand their issues, and to identify potential post-exit opportunities.This is an ongoing programme of cross-Whitehall engagement, and we will continue to speak to consumer groups and trades unions, benefitting from their expertise, as we move through the negotiation process and as we develop future plans.

Brexit

lord myners: Her Majesty's Government whether they have taken legal advice on whether the UK can revoke the triggering of Article 50.

baroness anelay of st johns: A clear majority of the electorate voted to leave the EU and we will respect the will of the British people. This was reinforced by the fact that in the last general election over eighty percent voted for parties committed to respecting the outcome of the referendum. There can be no attempts to remain inside the EU and no attempt to rejoin it. There is no precedent for a country triggering Article 50, let alone seeking to reverse such a decision. As a matter of firm policy, our notification will not be withdrawn - for the simple reason that people voted to leave. And we are determined to see through that instruction.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

*No heading*

lord mendelsohn: Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the establishment of a centre of 5G expertise within DCMS; how many staff the centre will have; what will be its budget; and when a prospectus setting out its functions will be published, as pledged in the government’s 5G Strategy for the UK.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government has committed £740m through the National Productivity Investment Fund to next generation digital infrastructure. We recently announced a £16 million investment with leading 5G research institutions at King’s College London and the Universities of Surrey and Bristol to develop a cutting-edge 5G test network to trial this new technology by early 2018. This is the first step in the 5G Testbed and Trials Programme and we expect to publish a prospectus later this year, which will provide further detail on the next phase of the programme.

*No heading*

lord mendelsohn: Her Majesty's Government whether they will match the EU Digital Agenda commitment, as made by 25 out of 27 other EU member states, to achieve 30 megabit broadband for all homes and businesses by 2020 and at least 50 per cent take-up of 100 megabit broadband.

lord ashton of hyde: Digital connectivity is a clear priority for this Government, and we compare well to other EU countries. BDUK’s Superfast programme will provide at least 24 Megabits per second (Mbps) coverage to 95% of the UK by the end of this year. According to the latest data, published on thinkbroadband.com, UK coverage at 30Mbps is 92.6%. The European Commission, in their 2017 report "Europe's Digital Progress", state that the EU average for 30Mbps coverage is just 76%. In terms of 100Mbps coverage, thinkbroadband report that for the UK this currently stands at 52.8%. We are keen to ensure even better digital connectivity in the UK, and we announced a package of measures worth £1.1 billion at Autumn Statement 2016 to support this:The Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund, which was launched on 3 July and will provide finance for new fibre investments.The Local Full Fibre Networks programme, which will support local bodies in stimulating the market for fibre connectivity in their areas.A Bill to enable business rates relief for new fibre build. Together, these investments and incentives will stimulate the market to deliver the increase in capacity that is needed. Homes and businesses across the UK could - if they chose - upgrade to at least superfast speeds. Anyone can check what speeds are available to them by entering their postcode at http://gosuperfastchecker.culture.gov.uk.

Football: Sportsgrounds

lord moynihan: Her Majesty's Government whether they expect all Premier League football clubs to meet their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2006 to ensure that by August 2017 they will fully meet the standards set down by the Equalityand Human Rights Commission, as set out in the Accessible Stadia Guide updated in 2015; and if not, what action they intend to take.

lord ashton of hyde: We expect all sports and all clubs to take the necessary action to fulfil their legal obligations under the Equality Act of 2010 so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when accessing sports venues. We are expecting a final report from the Premier League on whether clubs have met the pledge on accessibility standards in August 2017. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the body responsible for enforcing the Equality Act 2010. Following the EHRC’s call for evidence from Premier League clubs to assess their adherence to the terms of the Equality Act, if the EHRC suspect or believe that individual clubs are in breach of the Act 2010, they will consider the use of their statutory powers in order to achieve compliance. All clubs failing to meet the minimum requirements will have until September 2017 to publish their plan of action and timetable for improvement or face an investigation. We will support the EHRC in any action that they take against clubs and sports that are not fulfilling their legal duties towards disabled spectators.

Public Libraries

lord bird: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote the use of libraries, including libraries' online and digital content, with new library users.

lord ashton of hyde: The Libraries Taskforce, jointly established by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Local Government Association, published Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021 in December 2016. This strategy sets out 7 strategic Outcomes that libraries support, one of which is increasing digital access and literacy, and it highlights a range of initiatives through which libraries support digital skills, access, skills and related work. The UK Digital Strategy also underlined the importance of libraries as a ‘go to provider’ for digital skills training.

Sports Competitors: Free Movement of People

baroness bonham-carter of yarnbury: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU on the free movement of elite athletes.

lord ashton of hyde: The Department recognises the importance of sport to the nation and within that the contribution of international talent, and the UK will seek to continue to attract the best of international talent across all sports. As the Government considers the options for a future immigration system we will also need to understand the potential impacts of any proposed changes in all parts of the UK. We will look to develop a system that works for all in consultation with all relevant sport stakeholders.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

*No heading*

lord palmer: The Senior Deputy Speaker whatis his estimate of the cost arising fromthe House sittingin September.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The planning assumption made by the House Administration each year is that there will be a sitting in September. Most activities are scheduled on that basis and costs of September sittings are factored into the original budgets. On that basis, the main additional cost arising from the House sitting in September is an estimated £4k for cleaning and porterage at the end of maintenance and project works to prepare for the sitting and around £1k of staff overtime for the Parliamentary Maintenance Services Team.

Parliament: Broadcasting

lord campbell-savours: The Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to the Written Answer by the Senior Deputy Speaker on 19 July (HL599), what was the full breakdown of the(1) £118,000 resource, and (2) £465,000 capital, costs of the Parliamentary Broadcasting ICT Programme.

lord mcfall of alcluith: A full breakdown of the £118k resource costs and £465k capital costs of the Parliamentary Broadcasting ICT Programme is provided below. Resource£000Staff related costs41Storage and maintenance costs12Broadcasting and IT costs31Consultancy costs12Market research services costs22 118 Capital£000IT software46IT hardware6Broadcasting and sound equipment*413 465 *The figure for capital spend on broadcasting and sound equipment includes investment in infrastructure and technology to maintain and enhance audio, video and broadcasting services, including a new Chamber audio system in each House which accounts for the bulk of this expenditure. New cameras, cabling, signal routing and monitoring equipment have also been installed.

House of Lords: Wines

lord kennedy of southwark: The Senior Deputy Speaker how many English (1) still, and (2) sparkling, wines are on sale in (a) retail, and (b) catering, outlets in the House of Lords.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.One English still wine is offered on the menu in the Peers’ Dining Room. One English sparkling wine is offered on the same menu. Both are also available on request in the Barry Room and for events booked through the House of Lords Banqueting Office. No English wines are currently on sale through any other catering outlet or through the House of Lords gift shop.